


2018 Reyuxmas fic collection

by Akashne



Category: Star Wars - All Media Types, Star Wars Sequel Trilogy
Genre: 2018 Reyuxmas, Alternate Universe - Modern Setting, Bazine is not evil, F/M, Fluff, He misses her OK?!, How Millie Adopted Hux, Hux is a chef, Multi, Please Don't Hate Me, Polyamorous Character, Polyamorous Relationships, Rey cannot cook, Reyux, Sun & Rain: A Rey and Hux Discord network, nobody is cheating on anybody in this fic, scarf, short-ish story collection, this is how they met
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2018-12-13
Updated: 2018-12-23
Packaged: 2019-09-17 20:15:59
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 4
Words: 4,654
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/16981089
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Akashne/pseuds/Akashne
Summary: A collection of short fics about Rey/Hux from my long fic “Bed, Breakfast, and Black Magic”.Day 1 - FOOD: Rey really, really can’t cook.Day 2 – SCARF: This is how they met...Day 6 – TRADITIONS: Some unusual traditionsDay 10 - CREATURES: How Millie Adopted Hux





	1. Day 1: December 14 – FOOD

**Author's Note:**

> Well hello there!  
> To celebrate one of our favourite ships, a group of lovely people decided to give themselves an excuse to make more content with Hux/Rey.  
> This is a collection of short(ish) stories with a backstory of Rey and Hux from my Reylux fic “Bed, Breakfast, and Black Magic”, and some minor spoilers might occur. I hope that writing this helps me with getting back on systematic writing and I’ll be able to update BB&BM more often than once in a blue moon :)  
> All my thanks, as usual, go to [Raven_is_blue](https://archiveofourown.org/users/Raven_is_blue/pseuds/Raven_is_blue) who is my alpha (reader, you naughty, naughty people!) and my witch, and to [Erulisse17](https://archiveofourown.org/users/Erulisse17/pseuds/Erulisse17), who makes such a wonderful work as a beta reader, I cannot even. Many thanks also to the organizers of this event, lovely people of Sun & Rain Discord. If you want to join, do not hesitate to click [this link](https://discord.gg/MGyDq3F).

 

It was a late mid-December evening, and Armitage was more than ready to call it a night the second he got home. Slowly, he walked up the three sets of stairs to their floor - Rey always insisted on not using the elevator, and he was mostly used to it - the thought of cuddling and falling asleep with her in his arms making him smile.

He started smelling smoke as soon as he stepped into the corridor leading to their flat. He was was a little puzzled, but didn’t think much of it until he was standing in front of their door and started coughing from the intensity. Surely, it couldn’t be coming from…

When he opened the door, smoke billowed out into the hall. He rushed to the kitchen, which looked as if it was struck by several natural and man-made disasters. There was a strange brownish mass on all horizontal and several of the vertical surfaces, almost all of their bowls, spatulas and baking sheets were out and in the different stages of use, covering the kitchen table, the countertop, and even the floor. The sink was full of water, dishes, and utensils. It was probably the dirtiest kitchen he has ever seen.

But that was not the worst of it.

No, the worst was the look of total and utter despair on the face of his love, who was sitting in the middle of all this mess, her face slightly swollen and tear-stained, eyes red and still flooding. He rushed to her, knelt on the floor and took her face in his hands.

“Hey,” he said gently.

A sob escaped her.

“I’m sorry, I’ll clean everything, just… I need a moment…” she blubbered, avoiding his gaze.

Armitage felt his heart twist in his chest.

“Rey, look at me,” he ordered quietly, but with all his authority.

Sobbing quietly, she obeyed, blinking furiously to stop the tears from falling.

“Hey.” He touched their foreheads together.

“H… Hey.” Her voice was still shaky, but she was calming down.

Hux smiled lightly.

“What happened?” He asked quietly after a moment when he saw Rey was more or less back in control.

“I… I wanted to make us cookies. You’re always the one cooking, and you cook at work and at home and I am just useless in the kitchen so I wanted to make it a surprise and Granny sent me her recipe for ginger snaps and…” She finally stopped to draw a shaky breath. “She said it was foolproof. I made so many batches. I had to go to the shop three times for more flour and eggs.” Rey lowered her head in shame.

Instead of saying anything, Armie hugged his precious girl tightly, giving her time to pull herself together. When she quieted, he helped her up.

“Now, let’s clean the kitchen a little, and then we’ll make these cookies together, how about that?” He suggested, looking into her eyes with a smile.

“But… I’m sure you’re tired, and it’s late, and…” She was clearly distraught.

“I am tired, but so are you. You put so much work into this, and we can’t let it all go to waste. Besides, I’ve wanted to try your gran’s cookies for a while, since you always described them as the best thing in the world!” He laughed.

“Because they are!” With a smile back on her face, she swiped a kitchen towel at him, staining his pristine black shirt with the batter.

They both burst out with laughter.

Their spirits lifted, they worked together quickly, cleaning the minimum needed to prepare the cookies. After the final batch was in the oven, they tackled the rest of the mess amid teasing and happy giggles.

Yes, Maz’s cookies were the best, but they had never tasted better than that evening.


	2. Day 2: December 15 – SCARF

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> This is how they met...

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> All my thanks, as usual, go to [Raven_is_blue](https://archiveofourown.org/users/Raven_is_blue/pseuds/Raven_is_blue) who is my alpha reader and my witch and just a best friend anyone could wish for, and to [Erulisse17](https://archiveofourown.org/users/Erulisse17/pseuds/Erulisse17) who turns everything she touches into gold.  
> Of course, lots of love to the people of Sun & Rain Discord, and especially to the organizers of this event. If you ever want to talk Reyux with us, do not hesitate to click [this link](https://discord.gg/MGyDq3F).

It was the beginning of December, and Rey was freezing. The second she left home, she instantly regretted not checking the weather forecast. But there wasn’t enough time to go back - the bus wouldn’t wait. Digging her hands as deep as the pockets of her light jacket allowed and cursing all the fashion designers of the world, she rushed to the bus stop, hoping that the quick march will help her maintain at least some warmth.

No such luck - the light snow (the first snow of the year, in any other situation she would be overjoyed), cold wind, and overall misery of the too early Monday morning crept into her bones, the chill breeze seeping under the too light jacket. What she would do for a pair of gloves or a scarf…

Her thoughts were interrupted by something almost hitting her in the face. From a branch of the tree she almost walked into, there was hanging a beautiful green plaid scarf. Rey stood blinking for a moment, looking at the offending object until the next sway of the scarf reminded her about the lack of time. She quickly snatched it out of the tree, deciding it was the gift from some deity, or maybe just this once the luck smiled at her, wrapped it around her neck and face, and hurried even more.

Fortunately, she got to the stop just in time and jumped onto the bus before the door closed. She didn’t have to worry about finding a seat at this ungodly hour, which was about the only perk of having to commute for over an hour to get to her crappy accounting job. Once the bus started moving, she decided to inspect her lucky find.

It was deliciously warm and soft, and even though she didn’t know much about fabric, she would bet her lunch (if she had time to make herself any) that it was real wool. Of course, at first it was rather cold - it must have been hanging on the branch for a while - but it warmed up in no time, and slowly returned feeling to her face. In the relative warmth of the bus (which was still not enough, she was sure the chill would seep through her clothes before she got to the city centre), she could smell traces of something warm, sweet and earthy, together with a faint hint of tobacco. The muted green was accompanied by white, brown, and yellow stripes, all harmoniously coming together in a plaid pattern.

After checking the edges, she found a small tag that said:

 _“Property of A. Hux._ _  
_ _a.hux@gmail.com”_

Rey stared at it dumbly for a good few minutes, her mouth slightly parted.

WHO DID THAT?! Who had custom-made tags with their name and address, in case something got lost? Did they tag all their clothes, including socks and underwear? Did they attach the tags themselves, or did they hire someone to do that for them?

Finally, she sighed, shaking her head. She couldn’t fathom how a person that neat would lose their scarf, but that actually removed the dilemma about what she should do with the scarf next: she would dutifully write them a message, and leave the rest to - she looked at the tag once more - A. Hux, whoever they were.

Though she could bet her lunch money (if she actually could spare some), it was a man - the smell, the pattern, it all made her think of the owner as a male.

***

As soon as she got to work Rey logged into her work e-mail - when dealing with a persona like A. Hux she referred not to write as _rey_of_light123_ , _r.kanata_ sounded more like a person they could take seriously.

 _to: a.hux@gmail.com_ _  
_ _subject: lost scarf_

 _Dear A. Hux,_  
_I found your scarf. If you would like it back, please let me know a time and place to meet up so I can return it to you._  
  
_Yours sincerely,_  
_  
R. Kanata_

She looked at the message critically, not overly content with the wording, then shrugged and clicked send.

She was rather curious about the mysterious owner of that beautiful scarf.

***

As it happened, her curiosity wasn’t to be satisfied anytime soon - days passed without any answer from A. Hux. She even checked her spam folder repeatedly, trying make sure she didn’t miss it, but nothing came. Just in case they answered and demanded her giving back the lovely accessory immediately, she decided she would carry it with her every time she went to work.

Exactly two weeks later, winter decided to strike again. This time, Rey was prepared with a weather appropriate coat, gloves, beanie, and her cozy grey scarf. Everything would be just fine if she didn’t forget to take them with her when she left work. She always felt so numb, leaving that place: everything there was so colourless, lifeless, with a grey tinge and bathed in the coldest white light possible.

In her rush to leave this depressing place as quickly as humanly possible, she, of course, forgot all of her winter accessories. For a moment she thought it wouldn’t be too bad, but in just a few minutes the wind picked up. Rey shoved her hands deep in her pockets and tried to bury her face behind her coat’s collar, but to no avail.

Suddenly, she remembered about the green scarf she always carried with her, just in case. Happily, she dug it out and wrapped around herself once again. The smell of the previous owner was almost gone, and something in her mourned the loss, but she didn’t really have the time to contemplate it - she was tired, cold, and only slightly less miserable.

She got a lot more miserable when her bus didn’t arrive at all and she had to wait over half an hour for the next one trying to escape the wind in the modest shelter the bus stop provided. The bus that did come was cold, damp, and smelly, but she just didn’t care anymore. All she could think about was getting home, wearing her warmest socks and sweater, and hiding from the world under at least two blankets, with some tea and a book.

Fortunately, her daydreaming didn’t distract her enough to miss her stop and she promptly rushed out, trying to cross the distance to her home as quickly as possible. She was trying to remember if she still had any hot chocolate or if she needed to buy some in the shop on her block when she heard someone shouting.

“Hey, you! Stop!”

Deciding a dark December evening was not a good time to heeding random stranger’s orders, Rey picked up her speed.

“Are you deaf?! Stop! You.. you thief!”

A little scared, she tried to look around inconspicuously, but apart from someone shouting behind her, she couldn’t see anybody on the street. Certainly, the man couldn’t mean her…

Suddenly, someone grabbed her arm.

“Ha! I’ve got you!” he triumphed, turning her violently.

Rey stiffened momentarily, watching her attacker with wide eyes. He was red faced - he probably had to run after her - which clashed with his coppery hair. His soft lips in an angry grimace, the man watched her with indignation in his light eyes.

“Well? Are you just going to stare at me?!” he hissed.

That finally snapped her out of her shock.

Rey always believed that a good offense the best form of defense - though, the man was clearly unstable, calling her a thief out of the blue… Well, it was already too late for choosing another tactic, so she decided to stick to this one, taking a step forward.

“WHAT?!” she shrieked, wresting her arm from his grip. “Who the hell are you and what do you want? How dare you grab me in the middle of the street!”

He definitely wasn’t expecting her reaction, his mouth opened in surprise.

“Wh- you-” he tried to say, but couldn’t form even a simple sentence.

“Yes?” Rey was cold, drained, and had no more patience for idiots.

“The.. the scarf. You have my scarf!” He finally uttered.

That gave her pause. Scarf? She looked down. THE scarf.

Rey glanced up at him with wide eyes.

“Oh. Are you A. Hux?”

“Yes! And you stole my scarf!” He seemed to collect himself enough to start accusing her again.

She was much too tired for this.

“No.”

The man was clearly taken aback.

“No? But…”

Rey took a deep breath, then let it out with a pained expression.

“No. I found it two weeks ago, sent you an e-mail to the address you have embroidered on that stupid tag of yours, and carried it with me every day, just in case you deigned to send me a response. Which you haven’t done for  two whole weeks.” She rolled her eyes, hard.

“And before you ask,” she added, scowling at him, “I'm wearing it today because I forgot my own at work and I was cold and miserable. And since you hadn’t responded at all, I thought why should I let it waste in my purse if I can wear it on my way home and avoid getting a cold?” She finished with raised eyebrows.

For a few seconds, he just watched her, stunned, then opened his mouth to say something, but stopped himself.

With a tired sigh, she yanked the scarf from her neck and threw it at him.

“There. Now, I’m really cold and completely exhausted, so I’m going to head home.”

Without saying goodbye, she turned and rushed back home.

But apparently, the man - A. Hux - didn’t think their encounter was finished. He rushed after her, catching up on his long legs quickly.

“But… I didn’t receive any message!”

She groaned.

“I don’t know, maybe check your spam folder. I wrote from my work e-mail, it too often lands in spam.”

“Oh.”

If Rey was religious, she would pray to be saved from this awkward situation. She couldn’t possibly go any quicker, and he was just walking beside her, without a word. The moment she thought this evening couldn’t get any worse, the cold wind picked up again, and she shivered visibly.

“Um, listen, I…” A. Hux started, but Rey wasn’t having it.

“Whatever you want to say, no. Just… get lost,” she interrupted in a fatigued voice.

In the corner of her eye, she saw him frowning. So Mr. Hux wasn’t going to let it go.

“Could you just stop for a moment?”

“Nope!”

“No… why?” he asked incredulously.

“Cold!”

That finally seemed to get to his stupid head.

“Would you let me buy you a coffee, then?”

“Nope!” Rey squicked, through chattering teeth.

“Why?” He was perplexed this time. So many lovely adjectives were lost on this man!

“Too late.” She didn’t even try responding with a full sentence.

“Tea, then.”

“Nope.”

Hux let out a completely ill-mannered groan. He didn’t, however, give up.

“Dinner. Let me buy you a dinner, then.”

That got Rey’s attention. Free dinner was probably the only thing that could tempt her away from going straight home. Stopping, she regarded him thoughtfully - he looked well-off, with his beautiful, tailored black coat and expensive looking shoes. He probably would take her somewhere nice. She hasn’t been in a nice restaurant since… well, since ever.

“Okay. But you’d better make it a really nice dinner. And you’d better take me to a really nice place!” she warned, eyeing him sternly.

A sudden smile transformed his face completely, and Rey felt her heart beating quicker, for just a moment.

“Oh, don’t worry, I know just the place!” Still, with that blinding smile, he gestured in the direction Rey was heading before.

“Oh yeah? Which one?” It was so hard to maintain that skeptical tone, but she made a valiant effort.

“The Starkiller,” he answered simply.

Rey’s jaw dropped. Even though she could never afford going there, she knew it was impossible to get there a table without booking it in advance. There probably was a month-long waiting list, too.

“But… how?”

His smile changed into a very suspicious smirk.

“I was heading there anyway. And I happen to know the chef.”

“Oh,” was everything she could think of.

“Armitage Hux.” He extended his hand to her.

So that’s was his name.

“Rey Kanata.” She took his hand and shook it.

“Well, then, Rey. Shall we?”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Now I'm going to have a short-ish break - I'm not good/talented/ambitious enough to write whole 12 fics, but I'm doing my best, so see you on 19th of December :)  
> Just so you know: I have 4 fics ready, one more on the way and I think I'll manage one more, so this is going to be 5 or 6 short stories, all set in the same silly AU


	3. Day 6 – TRADITIONS

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Some unusual traditions

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Just a reminder: please, read the tags. Yes, they are polyamorous. Yes, it is possible to have more than one partner and for everyone involved to be happy with the situation. The other relationship is only mentioned.
> 
> Great thanks to, as usual, [Raven_is_blue](https://archiveofourown.org/users/Raven_is_blue/pseuds/Raven_is_blue) who is my alpha reader and my witch and just today published a fantastic fic about Nagini, to [Erulisse17](https://archiveofourown.org/users/Erulisse17/pseuds/Erulisse17) who is just amazing beta, and to Maskotka.  
> Again, lots of love to the people of Sun & Rain Discord, and especially to the organizers of this event. If you ever want to talk Reyux with us, do not hesitate to click [this link](https://discord.gg/MGyDq3F).

As per usual, on the 21st of December Rey started decorating their flat for Christmas. After so many years, she had a certain order of doing things, just like Maz had instructed her all the times before, and Armie didn’t object - before they started living together, he didn’t bother decorating at all.

She started, of course, with deep cleaning - which, since she started living with Armie, wasn’t as time-consuming as it used to be. There were always things she didn’t use and December was a good time to confront her need of having things with the reality of actually using them. After donating everything still in good condition and throwing away everything else, they cleaned the house together - washing windows, beating rugs, moving all the furniture and washing the floors beneath them. When Rey was finally satisfied with the state of their home, she would start the actual decorating.

Over the years, she was able to gather an impressive collection of the Christmas trinkets.

She could remember her first, very lonely, Christmas in Coruscant. She spent all week on the phone with Maz, who helped her organize a small celebration, and then stayed with her on the phone for most of Christmas Eve and the day itself, too. Rey still had - and treasured very much - her first ornaments, even though they looked cheap and out of place compared with the rest.

Their Christmas tree was an oddity, she had to admit, but she once saw the long-lost tradition of hanging the tree from the ceiling, she promptly fell in love with it. When she saw that Armie had an unused hook in his ceiling (originally meant for hanging flowerpots), she knew it was her chance. They bought a really small tree and, after some struggle, finally put it up. To better suit their theme, Hux found some very cute straw ornaments, and they made a short trip to the forest to gather some pinecones, which accented the rest of the baubles quite well. Then there were gingerbread cookies Armie always prepared to add to the natural look. If they still had space, they would also decorate with dried orange and apple slices. Lastly, a string of small but very bright lights was wrapped around the tree. 

Last year, Armitage had the gingerbread ready long before the 21st of December, when Rey was usually still decorating the tree and their flat, but this time he was testing a new recipe. The newest cookies were so good they ate them all, deciding to prepare a new batch when the tree was actually ready. 

Of course, the tree wasn’t the only decoration in the flat, but it was the focal point - the rest was minimal, not to divert the attention from it. The only exceptions were the windows - she usually hung their leftover ornaments from the tree set and of course, Maz’s baubles.

Rey had never heard of creating an ornament yourself before Granny sent her the kit of empty glass globes with suggestions on how to fill them (as well as one already done by her), but she fell in love with the idea. Besides, framing it as a Christmas thing helped her accept the quirky tradition easily. 

She was sitting by the table, working on this year’s ornament for herself when she heard the flat door opening. She quickly checked the time - it was quite early, she didn’t expect Armie to be home so early.

Trying not to let anything distract her from the current task (the glass bauble was very delicate looking, and she really didn’t want it to break), she listened to the rustling from the hall. Hm, a paper bag? What could that be?

Still mostly focusing on her current work, she smiled when he entered the kitchen.

“Hey,” she greeted Hux softly.

“Hey, you,” he responded, bending over her, and kissing the crown of her head.

“You’re early. Is everything ok?”

Armie moved to the kitchen counter, placing there a sizable paper packet.

“Yes, of course. Baz is attending a Christmas party today and she decided she needed more time for preparation than she previously expected. But she didn’t want to cancel, because she had something for us,” he said while unpacking the paper. A heavenly smell filled the kitchen.

“Oh?” That finally got Rey’s attention. She cautiously put down the glass object. 

When she looked up, Armie was holding in front of her a plate with a mountain of the prettiest little gingerbread cookies she has ever seen in her life. Her jaw dropped, which was instantly taken advantage of by Hux, who put one of the cookies in her mouth.

When she bit it, she couldn’t stop herself from closing her eyes and moaning. This was the best thing she has ever eaten. If she died that moment, her only regret would be she hadn’t eaten another one.

She opened her eyes and reached for the plate, but he removed it from her reach.

“No, no, no. Baz made me promise they won’t end up like our previous ones. And I have to send her the picture of our tree when we hang them.”

Rey sighed with mock resignation.

“You know I adore your girlfriend, right?” she asked jokingly.

Armie laughed.

“Yes, of course, you would. She’s the best pastry chef in town!” 

She hummed in agreement.

“That she is. Let me just finish with these,” she motioned to the objects on the table, “and I’ll help you with hanging the cookies.”

“In the meantime, I’ll start threading them.” He rolled up his sleeves and sat by the table with the twine and the cookie mountain.

They worked in companionable silence for some time, Rey focusing again on which herbs to use in her ornament, when Armie paused for a moment, looking at the assortment of glass baubles.

“You know, I forgot to ask last year. What are these?” 

Taken out of her thoughts, she looked up at him.

“Um, these? It’s something Maz sent me. It’s her Christmas tradition, though she insists on calling it Yule. This one,” she picked up the finished ornament, ”she made for my first Christmas in Coruscant. And this one,” she motioned to the orb she was working on, “is the one I’m supposed to make myself every year. You fill it with herbs and other things, and then you hang it in the window.” 

Armie nodded, then asked, “But… what are they?”

“Oh, some kind of a lucky charm or something. I seriously don’t know where she got this from, but… She cares about me and she insists I do it every year and it’s kind of sweet. And they look really pretty, too. So now it’s something I just… do.”

He looked at her questioningly but didn’t comment on that.

When Armie was finishing with the cookies, Rey let out a frustrated sigh, frowning at her work. She tried assembling the bauble several times but kept dismantling it and starting again from scratch.

“What’s wrong?” he asked curiously.

“I don’t know. It just… doesn’t work. The mix just feels off. Last year I added rose petals, but this time they don’t look right, and without them, it’s kind of empty.” 

For a moment, he looked at the herbs, spices, and stones she had in front of her.

“I might have an idea,” he stated and went to his spice cabinet.

When he came back, he had three small packets with him.

“What do you think about these?” he asked handing them to Rey.

She inspected his offering.

“Vanilla, saffron and… marigold?”

He nodded.

“So, no ginger, then?” She grinned at him, getting only an eye-roll and a raised brow in response. “Well, let’s try them!” 

Once again, she placed everything into the glass container, using a chopstick to arrange it neatly inside. She inspected it critically, then smiled at him happily.

“It’s perfect now.”

***

In the end, only half of the gingerbreads survived to be hung on the tree.


	4. Day 10: December 23 – CREATURES

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> How Millie Adopted Hux

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> All my thanks go to, as usual, [Raven_is_blue](https://archiveofourown.org/users/Raven_is_blue/pseuds/Raven_is_blue) who is my alpha reader and my witch and just yesterday published a cute fic for Teen Wolf, to [Erulisse17](https://archiveofourown.org/users/Erulisse17/pseuds/Erulisse17) who is just amazing beta and writer (seriously, READ HER FICS, they are 10 times better than mine!), and to Maskotka, who helped me immensely.  
> Again, lots of love to the people of Sun & Rain Discord, and especially to the organizers of this event. If you ever want to talk Reyux with us, do not hesitate to click [this link](https://discord.gg/MGyDq3F).
> 
> and, uh. There will be one chapter more, but it will be late. I'll try post it no later than on New Year's Eve, but I make no promises ^_^"

Armitage couldn’t find himself a place in his own flat. The kitchen was suddenly too small, the bedroom - too empty, the living room - too big. It took him a few weeks of experimenting with old and new recipes to realize what was wrong.

Armitage Hux felt lonely.

With Rey gone to have the adventures somewhere in the Lake District, he suddenly discovered a Rey-shaped hole in his life. He had never lived with anyone after he left his father's house, and he was perfectly content with that. He didn’t need anyone constantly invading his space until she came crashing to his tidy, settled life, wearing his favourite scarf and challenging him every day. He had, of course, other relationships and partners, but his own flat was his safe haven - where he could hide from everyone and have as much peace and quiet as he needed. He had never thought of himself as the nesting partner type.

Of course, he had a lot of work, he had agreed to help with finding and training his replacement, besides already starting preparations for the new restaurant, so he was left with very little time. 

Of course, he had Bazine, who was very supportive, and spent as much time with him as a successful woman could. 

Of course, there were phones, and he and Rey talked as often as their busy schedules allowed. 

Of course, it wouldn’t be forever, and every day that passed was one day closer to seeing Rey again.

And yet, after work and meetings, after hours of being busy and occupied, he always returned to his quiet, empty flat, that had never felt so lonely.

That was why, on this dreary, wet Monday, he found himself on the way to the nearest animal shelter. He didn’t have any plan, really. He never thought of himself as a… pet person. But he needed company and he heard so many times that dogs were man’s best friends. 

A nice young volunteer presented him with several sad animals in dirty cages but after a short conversation, she cautiously advised adopting a little less demanding animal. Armitage considered it, and it seemed like a good idea, so they moved to another part of the building.

When dogs didn’t do anything for him, the look of so many abandoned cats made his heart twist. If he could, he would take them all - sad eyes, missing ears or limbs, strange colouring, all of it. But chef Armitage Hux was a man of steel will, of legendary discipline, so he was determined to choose only one, even if deciding would break his heart. With a deep breath, he straightened his shoulders and went to inspect all the waiting kittens, like a general inspecting his forces.

There were dozens of them, all observing him with their big, hopeful eyes. On each cage, there was a name, estimated age, and any additional information, if needed. He saw them all: alley cats, mixed and pure breeds, black, grey, white, young and old, docile and aggressive, all with names like Felix, Smokey, Socks, Boots. But there, at the end of the row, was The One.

She was a shock of bright orange, neatly smoothed fur, sitting elegantly on her cushion, observing him with a slight disdain in her green eyes. She was too good to be there, her body language said, too good for him or for anyone in general. She was suffering his gaze with the grace of a queen. All of this - her situation - was a mistake that should be corrected immediately. And she was definitely not amused.

The card on her cage said:

NAME: Millicent   
AGE: 1.5 years   
**PRINCESS**

It was love at first sight.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> nesting partner (sometimes anchor partner, cohabitating partner) - a poly-specific term for partners you live with. It's used to show which partners you live in without underlining hierarchy (definition from Maskotka's comment, thank you so so much for your help!).


End file.
